ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a more-than-human approach to environmental planning, which proceeds from a fundamentally relational understanding of human nature. The purpose of the proposed more-than-human approach is not to introduce some new ‘off-the-shelf’ methodology for best practice but rather to instil some humility regarding humanity’s position in this world and our fundamental existential dependence on a host of other beings and existences. The chapter opens with a short introduction to the philosophical underpinnings of a more-than-human approach. After this, it moves on to discuss what the acceptance of these ideas might imply for how we understand the function and purpose of environmental planning. The subsequent question that is tackled is how such a new understanding of environmental planning can be translated into concrete methods and practice. Finally, the chapter concludes by raising some of the daunting challenges of embarking upon a more-than-human approach to environmental planning.